(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for steam cooking food, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a steam cooking device which operates under low steam pressure and has a chamber for containing the food, the chamber having an access door to enable insertion and removal of food.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A conventional device for steam cooking food comprises a closed chamber for containing the food as it is cooked. The chamber has an access door for insertion and removal of the food. A conventional steam cooker operates at a relatively low pressure, that is, at or just slightly above atmospheric pressure, as contrasted with steam cookers having a tightly sealed chamber and which operate at high temperature and pressures. A conventional steam cooker is typically used in a small restaurant, an outdoor food service cart, or other places where space is limited. Although a conventional steam cooking device can be used to cook a variety of foods, these types of devices have been used primarily for cooking ground beef.
The steam is provided by a reservoir which is located beneath the floor of the chamber. The floor of the chamber includes a plurality of vents for transmitting steam from the reservoir to the chamber. The reservoir is typically a large pan partially filled with water and having its bottom placed on a heat source such as a gas flame or an electric burner. During the course of cooking the food in the chamber, as steam circulates adjacent the food it becomes contaminated with food particles. In the case where ground beef is cooked, the steam tends to become contaminated with fat and other substances. As the steam is cooled by heat transfer to the food and to the sidewalls of the chamber, the contaminated steam condenses and collects on the floor of the chamber and then drips through the steam vents in the floor of the chamber and back into the reservoir.
As the steam cooking device is operated over a prolonged period of time, the water in the reservoir becomes contaminated with fat and other contaminates. The fat tends to form a layer on top of the water located in the reservoir, thus making difficult the production of steam for further cooking. The buildup of fat and other contaminates in the reservoir results in increased cooking time for the food in the chamber, increased energy consumption, and may result in disflavoring the food being cooked.
A group of shelves are located in the chamber and support various small trays which contain the food. In the case where ground beef is being cooked, the small tray contains beef and each shelf can accommodate four or more trays. The shelves are permanently secured to a frame, which is in turn, secured to the floor of the chamber. As the device is repeatedly used, the shelves and the frame for the shelves become dirty, thus requiring cleaning. Because the shelves are spaced relatively close to each other, and are fixed at right angles with respect to the frame, it is extremely difficult to clean the shelves.
In a conventional steam cooking device, the door is hinged to one sidewall of the chamber. When the door is opened, condensate from the ceiling of the chamber and the sidewall to which the door is secured begins to drip downwardly out of the door opening thereby creating a puddle of condensate in front of the steam cooker. It would be desirable to avoid, or reduce the amount of condensate which drips out of the chamber when the access door is opened.